Drive disappeared

[rebel214]

ALL drives will be monitored by System restore. Even storage drives for some reason. Is it not possible that somehow the drive simply "lost it's letter" from disk management?


1. Start->Run "Diskmgmt.msc"

2. Look at the bottom pane. What items are present?

You can add/assign a drive letter on your drive:

type the command above, press Enter....

Computer Management window appears..

1.Right click on the "partition" of your disk (drive w/ no letter assigned)...

2.Click "Change drive letter and paths"...

A new window appears...

3.Click "Add" button..

A new window appears...

4.Click mouse on "Assign the following Drive letter" option...

Select letter you want to use on the drop down option....

5.Click OK twice...

Check if new Drive letter (the one you specified) appears on Disk Management window...

You can try open My Computer and access your drive if you can....

Hope this helps......

P.S. Pls. post if you Guys, have corrections on my reply... I'm a newbie, ya know...

[JJ 3000]

Most computers will diplay a message when booting for you to press a key to enter setup (in your case F4). This is perfectley normal. You dont have to enter setup to boot into Windows usually. From what you are saying, it sounds you could have one of two problems. Either you battery is dying or somone messed with your computer's BIOS during the ten days that you left it alone. Is your computer losing time? Look at the clock and see if the time is right.

[rebel214]

it looks like you have received a lot of responses and suggestions, dratul.... but, hey, why don't you have your feedbacks post on what's the outcome of all the suggestions you tried...

Which of them works?

a lot people on this community are glad to help you...LOL

[dratul]

try unplugging your second drive (Drive E:) and power up your system, see if it will still prompts you to press F4..If it successfully loads your OS without Drive E:

i unplugged the problematic disk, it will open only a blue screen giving details of motherboard, but not starting the OS. But when i unplug the other one it asks to select proper boot device. this means there is some problem in the disk (drive E). i think according to u i should try this disk on other computer. is there any way to retrive the data from this disk even if it has problem?

Most computers will diplay a message when booting for you to press a key to enter setup (in your case F4). This is perfectley normal. You dont have to enter setup to boot into Windows usually. From what you are saying, it sounds you could have one of two problems. Either you battery is dying or somone messed with your computer's BIOS during the ten days that you left it alone. Is your computer losing time? Look at the clock and see if the time is right.

The computer is showing proper time & date.

[rebel214]

i unplugged the problematic disk, it will open only a blue screen giving details of motherboard, but not starting the OS. But when i unplug the other one it asks to select proper boot device. this means there is some problem in the disk (drive E). i think according to u i should try this disk on other computer. is there any way to retrive the data from this disk even if it has problem?

What do you mean a blue screen, a STOP Error or BSOD?

Can you still boot into Windows with the defective drive attached to the system?

Yup, as long as the known good system can detect your drive and also it depends upon the extent of the problem on your drive...

[dratul]

After plugging & unplugging the hard disk, now one problem is occurring. After escaping BIOS setup utility I couldn’t start OS. A black  screen with following message comes:

‘windows couldn’t  start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
System32\DRIVERS\pci.sys

You can attempt to repair this file by starting Windows Setup using the original Setup CD-ROM
Select ‘r’ at the first screen to start repair’

Now how to solve this problem.
 

[JJ 3000]

 Make sure you are grounded before touching any internal components. The first hard disk (C&D) should be jumpered to master. When you unplugged the drives you may have gotten the cable  backwards. If you have one IDE cable connected to your motherboard for both of the Hard drives make sure you have the master plugged into the end of the cable (master) and not the middle connector(slave). If you look at your hard drive there should be a diagram that has the jumper settings.


Now power up your machine and press F4 to go into setup. Move over to BOOT or BOOT ORDER. FRom here you can select which device to boot up with. You press the plus and minus keys (usually) to move your devices up and down in the boot order. Make sure your master Hard Drive is the first boot device. Now exit and save changes.

[dratul]

i did exactly what u have told, but the windows is not starting. it is giving same error message. what id set-up CD ROM?

[JJ 3000]

When you bought you're computer, it should have came with a few CDs. One of these is your setup CD-ROM. Look through the CDs that came with it and look for one called "recovery disk" or "operating system" or mabey even just "windows XP".

If you cant find the CD, look at your computer case. There might be a sticker on the side of your machine with your product key and info.

Do you know anyone else with same version of XP that has a disk, or can burn one for you?

[rebel214]

When you bought you're computer, it should have came with a few CDs. One of these is your setup CD-ROM. Look through the CDs that came with it and look for one called "recovery disk" or "operating system" or mabey even just "windows XP".

If you cant find the CD, look at your computer case. There might be a sticker on the side of your machine with your product key and info.

Do you know anyone else with same version of XP that has a disk, or can burn one for you?

Now if you have your installation cd, do you have any idea on windows xp installation?

but take note that your are not going to perform new windows installation, but to repair your existing windows installation....

[Crafty]

You still haven't said if both hard drives are recognised in the bios - They will be listed in the bios by the make of the hard drives - Also, you should try a new ide cable ribbon if a harddrive is not recognised in the bios.

If you want data of this hard drive - You can hook it up to another computer as a slave and get the data of it. Just remember also, If the drive has partitions on it - go to disk management and right click each partion and click activate partition.

[dratul]

You still haven't said if both hard drives are recognised in the bios - They will be listed in the bios by the make of the hard drives - Also, you should try a new ide cable ribbon if a harddrive is not recognised in the bios.

If you want data of this hard drive - You can hook it up to another computer as a slave and get the data of it. Just remember also, If the drive has partitions on it - go to disk management and right click each partion and click activate partition.

In the BIOS under Advance menu it shows both the Hard disk by their make.

When you bought you're computer, it should have came with a few CDs. One of these is your setup CD-ROM. Look through the CDs that came with it and look for one called "recovery disk" or "operating system" or mabey even just "windows XP".

If you cant find the CD, look at your computer case. There might be a sticker on the side of your machine with your product key and info.

Do you know anyone else with same version of XP that has a disk, or can burn one for you?

I have Driver Recovery CD  & Windows XP CD. Will it do?

[dratul]

Alas i could start the windows though there was no Drive E. Thanx all of u for ur help & i have learned lot of thinks from all of u.

[Crafty]

I am just curious to know this, if both his hard drives are showing up in the bios - Would this then not point to a windows fault, that one of his hard drives, is not showing in windows? or could the E: drive still just be faulty? I have seen similar things to this all over the internet, but no-one seems to have an answer.

dratul
If was you, I would hook that E: drive up to another computer as a slave, and just see if it is recognised by the other computer.

[dratul]

thanx crafty, i am also wondering why so? i will try this falty disk in another computer & lets see.